CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- The honors keep piling up for the Navy men's soccer team, as for the third straight week, the squad has received a weekly accolade from the Patriot League. This time around it was sophomore Michael Rakoczy's turn as he was named the Patriot League / BRINE Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

It marks the first weekly honor for Rakoczy and the second time in three weeks that a Navy player has earned the Offensive Player of the Week award. On Sept. 7, freshman Dave Arnold was named the Offensive Player of the Week for his role in two Navy wins that week.

It's the first time since 2001 (Justin Fishburn and Craig Ruhs) that Navy has had two different players win Offensive Player of the Week honors in the same season. So far in three weeks this season, Navy players have gathered five weekend awards (two offensive POW, two Rookie of the Week, one defensive POW). In the 2007-09 seasons combined, Navy players won just six weekly honors.

Rakoczy, a midfielder from Cincinnati, Ohio, recorded career highs in goals (2) and points (4) in Navy's 3-1 win over Delaware, including netting the game-winning goal in the 62nd minute. Rakoczy scored goals in two straight games (3-0=6) in wins over UMBC and Delaware, and he currently ranks tied for third in the Patriot League in points (6) and tied for sixth in goals (3). For his career, Rakoczy has scored 14 points (5 g, 4 a) in just 23 career games. He has tallied three goals on just six shots this season.

Meanwhile, the Midshipmen have moved up two spots from sixth to fourth in the NSCAA / HeadrickCars.com Middle Atlantic Regional rankings based on their win over Delaware (3-1) and close loss to UNC Greensboro (1-0) last week. Navy is one of five Patriot League teams ranked in the poll, joining Colgate (2nd), Lafayette (3rd), Lehigh (6th) and American (8th). UNC Greensboro, the lone team to beat Navy this year, is ranked eighth in south region rankings, perhaps the strongest region in the country.

Navy's 4-1-0 start includes four wins by at least two goals and the Mids are outscoring their foes, 13-3, on the season. The four wins in the first five games is just the 11th time in the last 36 years (since 1974) that Navy has started with four wins in the first five games and a win on Wednesday night over La Salle will give Navy five wins in its first six games for just the sixth time since 1974.

As a team, Navy currently ranks first in the Patriot League in points (39), goals (13), goals per game (2.60), assists (13), assists per game (2.60) and fewest goals allowed (3). Navy is second in goals against average (0.60).

Individually, Dave Arnold (Fr. / Baltimore, Md.) is second in points (8), points per game (1.60) and goals per game (0.60) and tied for third in goals (3). Patrick Sopko (Fr. / Gloucester, Va.) is fourth in points (7), third in points per game (1.40), sixth in goals (2) and tied for third in assists (3) and assists per game (0.60). Navy players rank second, third, fourth and tied for seventh in points per game (Arnold - 2nd; Sopko - 3rd; Rakoczy - 4th; David Jackson - tied for 7th at 1.00).

On the defensive end, Aaron Dupere (Fr. / Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) ranks second in goals against average (0.64) and save percentage (.864).

The NCAA leaderboard has not been updated through the weekend's games at the time of release.

Navy hosts La Salle on Wednesday night at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, beginning at 7:00 pm. All high school students can purchase a ticket for just $2, and Navy will be giving out free t-shirts and other giveaways as part of Youth Soccer Month. Navy will then kick off its Patriot League slate with the annual Star Game on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 7:00 pm in West Point, N.Y. Live video for the Army game will be available as a link on NavySports.com for a one-time fee of $10.95.

For ticket information to all of Navy's home games, call 1-800-US4-NAVY or visit the Navy Athletics website at www.NavySports.com(.)